Thursday, October 26, 2006

This was the speech I made that gave my cousin first place in oration. During the days I did this, I had to pray, I had to discern, I had to lay down my heart.

This is my offering.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. " (1 cor 12:13)

Before anything else, let me start this speech by asking you to reflect on this question: what is one thing you can't leave the house without? Brothers and sisters, months ago this was the same question surveyed among the youth by a popular newspaper. And just like 95% of the replies, I guess most of you thought of one thing: your cell phone. Some of you may have thought of your IPods, maybe some may have also thought of their CD players or Mp4s. In this world dependent on technology, everything has become so fast paced that people are starting to get busy and everything is always done in an instant. Why then am I talking about this?

Brothers and sisters, in today's world of progress, technology, prosperity, luxury and lost love, self-love has been created. With the loss of love, today's man has lost happiness, mirth, satisfaction - the fruits of love. But besides its fruits, love also grants us unity for it is only through love this is made possible. Why so? Because we must remember that God is love; if we would live our lives on the superficial side of our faith, like simply going to mass because we are required to or even praying without action, then there is an absence of love, an absence of unity and an absence of God.

For people our age, brothers and sisters, we can show our love for God if we consequently love our neighbors, especially those who have less in life. Let us remember that Jesus, Himself, had reminded us to keep one of the two greatest commandments: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

But loving our neighbor, isn't just one of the areas wherein our love for God can manifest; it also through loving our studies and our work. Let me share this to you: make your studies and your work a form of prayer, your offering to God. With excellence in the things we do, we must give back the glory to Our Father.

Lastly, we must all come together in prayer. Prayer connects us to God. Yet simply praying recited prayers isn't enough. I urge you all to pray to God intimately. Aside from your personal concerns, pray for your country...pray for those who are oppressed and poor...pray for our national leaders; pray that this world may be a world of love and unity and not a world of war, vengeance, violence and hate as it is today.

My dear brothers and sisters, you have all heard of the depressing news that scatters in the papers everyday. You have all caught a glimpse that this world we live in is stricken with poverty, corruption and selfishness. CHANGE must begin with us. Today, I share to you the flame of unity and hope by giving this message. I urge you to move, to be one in loving God, our neighbor, our studies and work. I urge you all to pray fervently. I urge you to keep the fire burning and to share God's love to all those who are still astray. In our own little ways, with our voices in unison, we can make things happen. All these because we are one body with one head who have died for us on the cross just to save us---Jesus Christ. Move, have faith and pray!

With this, may God be praised. A pleasant Good morning to all.